Updates of Pixieprincess.com

I got a new set of pliers! *does the new tool dance* :)  I needed ‘em too, can’t cha tell?
My next big tool purchase I think will be a pixie. Apropos, right? I’ve been holding off due to the price, but the longer I wait the longer I’ll need to feed the tool cravings with pliers and other small tools.
I would use it to grind down my enamels mostly.  I did hand grinding on the sea critter earrings I’ve been working on and, boy howdy, am I ready for this tool to live in my studio.  There’s also the bonus feature of using it for what it was built to do!  It sure would b swank to have a little lapidary station at my beck and call…  though not as fun as hanging out with John Cushing, lapidarist extrodinaire, to borrrow his;)
~margarita

Still digging through old bits and pieces of lost projects-  mostly all from my casting class days.  There were more cones in there cast from Alder cones I picked up on our old walks through Sharon Woods. That was one of Turtle’s* very favourite walks:)
 
Between thinking of home, my old casting class crew, long drives/talks with the Jessinator, and taking these photos I got quite nostalgic and rather sappy**. I’m just a big softie I guess. That’s just how I roll. 

*She might miss the woods, but she likes the ocean, too.
**Thankfully tree sap washes off.

Today is the first warm day in my studio since we’ve moved here.  So what do I do, well, turn on the kiln of course!
I finally remembered to dome my fine silver blanks for the earrings I’ve had planned. I kept bringing them to work to dome with tools borrowed from zee boss, and then forgetting to do them! d’oh!
Now there are three earrings sets started. Yay!
I’m working on some creatures of the sea in the hopes of getting them in to some coast galleries and just ’cause I likes sea critters.  It also doesn’t hurt that I have some wicked awesome blues in my enamel palette.

Adam’s peanut butter is essential to the enameling process, BTW.

This is how far I got today before my back started getting cranky:P

The Garibaldi fish makes me giggle.
~m

FYI- There are 5 spots left in my summer enameling class! You can sign up at The Craft Center website.

I’ve kinda always prided myself on soldering skills.  Though I have the occasional troublesome piece I can usually figure it out without excessive frustration, as long as it doesn’t involve nickle alloys.* Today, though, I found my giant soldering psyche quoting Fezzik, “I don’t see why you give me so much trouble,” and truly feeling my man in black may win. 
Indeed, he did. Though his brothers happily soldered to jump rings for future earring he would have none of it. Jerk.
It seems to be due to the porosity of the particular casting.
I know lessons in humility are good, but I do wish he’d stop smirking at me.
 
 <—The man in black

~m

*shakes fist in air grumbling “Nickle alloys!”

I’ve been a bit creatively stumped of late. I’m starting lots of projects and then find myself losing interest.  This is not a new thing for me.  Cycles of manic creative bursts, and apathetic winters of thought are part of the Margarita package.  Since today is a studio work day, I’ve been sitting in front of my bench, letting this creative winter wash over me as my eyes wander to the sunshine outside.  In an effort to do something (anything), I decided to do a little Spring cleaning.  I pulled out bags (and bags) of old half finished projects, forgotten ideas, and a few mysterious bits and pieces from the bench’s attic.*

This is where I began:
  

I simply added bails to three grapevine castings done who knows how long ago at Riverbend Art Center in Dayton, Ohio, where I used to teach.  I took David Brand’s casting class there for several years and find myself really missing the folks there.

Welp, I best get back to the bench.  I’m having an argument with a precious petite pachyderm that needs to be settled before the day is through.

~margarita

*in my bench’s case the littlest shelf hidden up under the tray.

I completely abandoned my blog.  I’m sorry little blog!
I’ve moved cross country to Oregon.  I’ll be teaching enameling again this Summer the the University of Oregon Craft Center, so look for me there!
I’ll try to keep up with this blog better.  I have new ideas and projects so stay tuned:)

In the meanwhile, watch Etsy for new stuff!